to think Derbyshire police need to read the LAW and understand that you can't fine people when they are not breaking it

[chomalungma]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-55560814

Surrounded by police, treated like a criminal for driving 5 miles to a beauty spot for a walk.

It is not illegal to drive to exercise.

@OHolyTights

Not unlawful is not necessarily the same as not wrong.

The police enforce the law, not what may be considered morally wrong,

Fishing is now allowed locally so clear as mud again, DH will be travelling 5 miles to do this at his local lake.

ANPR - that is how they are doing it. Where you register your car

Not in the UK, you don't have to have a local registration.

And cars are registered to keepers, not drivers, who may not necessarily even live together. I am not saying it's common, but it's not enough for the police to start fining people.

What's concerning is that the government are deliberately encouraging police to interpret legislation in their own way. At least what's coming out of government is deliberately vague and confusing, with a strong desire to scare people into compliance.

I live in a rural area with no pavements 12 miles from a national park. Thars the nearest safe walking area. People are now scared to use the national park for exercise because of reports that police are stopping cars and questioning people.

As far as I know, as long as you aren’t breaking any laws you don’t have to answer any questions by the police. You don’t have to even give them your name, but they have to give you theirs, along with their collar number and the station they’re based at.

if they were genuinely just going for a walk round a reservoir why the effort into their make up and outfits?

They weren’t wearing ball gowns and tiaras. I wear a face full of make up including red lipstick every day. Said lipstick is reapplied for the dog walk. I wear wellies for the dog walk - just like these two women, the only difference being theirs are serious wellies - Hunters no less.

@VinylDetective

if they were genuinely just going for a walk round a reservoir why the effort into their make up and outfits?

They weren’t wearing ball gowns and tiaras. I wear a face full of make up including red lipstick every day. Said lipstick is reapplied for the dog walk. I wear wellies for the dog walk - just like these two women, the only difference being theirs are serious wellies - Hunters no less.

I suspect the photo was not taken at the time of the walk that incurred the fine. They probably arranged that later (for the DM story) and are the type of people who wouldn't consider a photo being taken without looking their best. That is totally irrelevant to whether their original 5 mile drive to take exercise should have incurred punishment.

The law states the following about exercise:
"but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)"

Afaik at least one of the women lives in Leicestershire and the guidance tells you to stay local. Mind you, I can walk for ten minutes and be in a different county and different local authority area. I do think the police response was heavy-handed and they could have just told them to go home rather than fining them.

if they were genuinely just going for a walk round a reservoir why the effort into their make up and outfits?

What was wrong with their outfits?

Wellies, leggings, big jumper, big coat, hat, scarf, gloves

I wear make up every day. I didn’t know there was a rule that you couldn’t wear make up when going for a walk

They were wearing pretty what I wear when I go to the yard to do my horses every day. I’ve even got a pair of Hunters - red, shiny ones that I hose down every day so they don’t even have any mud on

Where I live there’s a high crime rate and constant reports of women (and men) being mugged and worse. Is it really safer for me to walk on the streets than drive 10 minutes to a park?

The law only states "within your area" it makes no mention of county. Many people live very near a county border. These are administrative formalities not physical boundaries. 5-10 miles within your own county is not safer than 5-10 miles to the next county.

Afaik at least one of the women lives in Leicestershire and the guidance tells you to stay local.

It doesn't define "local" to mean "you must not stray from your county". That would obviously be ridiculous for the thousands of people who live on or very near county borders.

The law states the following about exercis"but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space

As has been mentioned on this thread, that's not the law.

The law is the leglisation that was passed by Parliament.

@benedicto

The law only states "within your area" it makes no mention of county. Many people live very near a county border. These are administrative formalities not physical boundaries. 5-10 miles within your own county is not safer than 5-10 miles to the next county.

Again.

Not the law

So the guidance is more specific than the law? Please clarify what the law says.

So we have to following the Guidance (which is what I quoted) and the law at the same time, but they say different things?

@annevonkleve

They can't set an appropriate distance because there is no one size fits all answer

They have in lots of other countries. Not sure we're particularly exceptional. As I said you might not agree with the limit chosen (though I would err on the generous, eg 10 miles) but at least it would be clear.

And who's to say other countries have it right?

This thread is positively teeming with jealousy. Only ugly old women can go out for a walk presumably provided they look like shit?

@Iamtooknackeredtorun

I'm fed up of seeing their faces on every news feed I look at that's for sure. BBC even had a one of their 'nights out with a nice glass of fizz' SM photos as part of the article. I get they're photogenic but it's pathetic.

Hardly their fault, media outlets regularly use social media pictures and they don't need permission to do so

The point I was making sailed spectacularly over your head @benedicto. Some of us take trouble with our appearance every single day, regardless of where we’re going or what we’re doing. I’d have Hunters too @Springersrock if only they’d accommodate my stupidly chunky calves.

What's wrong with Hunter wellies?

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

And who's to say other countries have it right?

Well this one hasn’t, right from the start the ambiguity has created these sort of issues.

@VinylDetective I was only pointing out that how they look is totally irrelevant, both to the fine being discussed in this thread and in the law/guidance in question. It really isn't about how they look or what they wear. If it was men we wouldn't be talking about this.

I think the police have been very heavy handed here.It was only a few days ago ,I read that Micheal Gove when asked how far was a "reasonable" distance to drive said "Around 10 miles or so" Surely the police have more to do than harrass two ladies out for a SD walk? Must be safer than crowding into a nearby park with hundreds of others doing the same thing and walking to get there!

@dottiedodah

I think the police have been very heavy handed here.It was only a few days ago ,I read that Micheal Gove when asked how far was a "reasonable" distance to drive said "Around 10 miles or so" Surely the police have more to do than harrass two ladies out for a SD walk? Must be safer than crowding into a nearby park with hundreds of others doing the same thing and walking to get there!

Did Gove really say 10 miles (seems reasonable). Well since his comments about daily exercise being one hour were taken as gospel in lockdown 1, I will take his comments about "10 miles" as gospel this time and quote to any police officer that should enquire (with my consent allegedly).